


Recovery

by BC2



Series: Ruby and Nora (Redux) [9]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Body Horror, F/F, Heavy Angst, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-23 19:31:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16625087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BC2/pseuds/BC2
Summary: After the Fall of Beacon, everyone tries to get their bearings so they can move on.





	1. Salem

Mercury shot the leg of some poor guy who was running from the Grimm. “Ten points!” He shouted in glee as he watched the man get torn to shreds.

Mercury then caught site of Lisa Lavender, she and her wife were running through the streets.

”Well,” Mercury took aim with his sniper rifle, aiming at Lisa’s leg, “let’s see how loyal your gal is.”

Thankfully, before Mercury could shoot, a bright flash of light got his attention.

”What the Hell...?” Mercury looked up towards the CCT tower, where he saw two pillars of light shoot up from the very top of the tower. “What is that?”

All the Grimm in the area seemed to be distracted by the light pillars, allowing several innocent civilians to run as fast as they could.

When the pillars vanished, all the Grimm went crazy. Attacking not only civilians, but also each other.

”Whoa!” Mercury watched the carnage unfold with his sniper scope. “They’re going freakin nuts!” A smile grew on his face when he saw the Grimm tearing apart Lisa Lavender and her wife. “Well, guess it’s not all bad.”

Suddenly, something landed on the roof next to Mercury, he turned to see a giant nevermore staring down at him.

”I take it Cinder’s whole ‘they won’t hurt you thing’ is no longer in effect?” Mercury asked the nevermore.

The creature responded with a vicious roar.

”Thought so.” Mercury jumped off the roof just as the nevermore lunges at him, barely missing the beak as it pierced the roof. As he fell, Mercury shot his boots to ensure a safe landing. Mercury turned to see a group of rabid Grimm surrounding him. “Well, this got a whole lot less fun.”

* * *

On the roof, Salem and her Grimm dragon were encased in stone. Grimm dragon was frozen mid-roar, and Salem still had the look of fear on her face.

Ruby lied unconscious not far from them. Soon, a crow flew to the roof, and Qrow turned back into his human form.

”Ruby?!” He shouted the second he noticed his niece. He ran to her side. “Come on, come on.” He checked her pulse, and let out a sigh of relief when he felt one. “Thank the Go-“ Qrow cut himself off when he saw Myrtenaster and Pyrrha’s tiara lying next to each other, by Salem’s frozen form. “Oh no...”

He heard the screech of the rabid Grimm down in the city.

”Get the kid, their things, and get out.” Qrow made B-line towards the two items. When he grabbed them, he was just about to take off when he saw who they were next to. “No way.” Qrow looked at Salem. He couldn’t help but smile at Ruby’s unconscious form. “Good job kiddo.”

Unfortunately, as Qrow picked up Ruby and began the long trek back to the evacuation ships, he missed the sound of a small crack, caused by Salem’s statue.

* * *

Mercury ran into the medical center, covered in cuts and bruises. “Man, dad was easier to kill then these things!” He slammed the door shut behind him. “Alright, let us hope this place ain’t out of supplies.” Mercury began to search, eventually finding some bandages. “Well, it will have to do.”

After the tedious process of covering all his cuts with preschooler level bandages, Mercury got a call on his scroll. He checked his scroll and saw it was Cinder.

”Boss?” Mercury asked after picking up.

”Mercury...” Salem breathed out. “I’m on the roof of the CCT tower...come get me!”

”Cinder?” Mercury cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t sound like her.”

”Mercury, if you don’t come get me, I’ll ensure the Grimm eat you nice and slow,” Salem seethed in rage.

Mercury didn’t need much coaxing after that. “I’m on my way.”

* * *

_Present Day_

Salem sat in her throne room, deathly quiet. Her maiden powers, while still intact, were weakened by Ruby’s silver eyes. Her true form was too damaged and weak, forcing her to remain in her Cinder form in order to stay in a functional body.

”Boss?” Mercury opened the door to greet Salem’s gaze. “I brought that...thing, you wanted to see.”

”Bring it in,” Salem ordered.

Mercury opened the door, allowing creature to crawl in. It had the usual Grimm look, but it looked human, apart from the batwings that stuck out of its thighs.

”Leave us.” Salem waved Mercury away.

Mercury wordlessly shut the door, leaving Salem and the Grimm standing across from her.

”Mother...” The Aswang hissed. “What has happened to you?”

”None of your concern,” Salem answered, coldly. “I may have been critically injured at Beacon, but I still got what I wanted.”

”Then why did you call me here?” The Aswang asked. “I was still on the Spring Maiden’s trail.”

”I’ll deal with the Spring Maiden,” Salem said. “You’re going to be doing something much more important.”

”Which is...?”

”Killing whoever did this to me!” Salem returned to her Grimm form, revealing the extent the damage done to her by Ruby. Half of her face looked as if it had been burned, her red, pulsing eye stared, unblinking, straight ahead. The rest of Salem’s body hadn’t faired much better, her clothes were burned into her skin, and the skin around her rib cage was completely exposed.

”What hap-“

”I said it was none of your concern!” Salem slammed her hands on the table in front of her, silencing the Aswang. “Her name is Ruby Rose...that’s all I know. Find her, and bring me her head.”

”I...of course, mother.” The Aswang bowed, then turned to leave.

”Aswang.”

It paused.

”Don’t return until you’ve found her,” Salem’s voice became a low rasp. “If you come back, and she’s not with you, my appearance will be **nothing** compared to how you’ll look when I’m done with you.”

The Aswang gulped. “I would never dream of it, mother.”

”Good, now get out of my sight!” Salem barked, sending the creature scurrying out of the room.


	2. Winter

Winter watched as two pillars of light emerged from the CCT’s roof. She was still on the ground when the light pillars made themselves known.

”What the heck was that?!” Yang asked, panicked.

Winter recognized that power, though. “Silver eyes,” she whispered to herself. “Wait...that power only reveals itself after experiencing a great loss...”

”I hope Ruby is okay,” Blake said, concerned.

”My sis can handle herself,” Yang assured. “I just hope Weiss and Pyrrha are okay.”

Winter shot to her feet, and ran over to Yang. “What do you mean?!” Winter turned her around to face her.

”Wh-“

”Why are you worried about Weiss and Pyrrha?!” Winter shouted.

”They were at the courtyard,” Yang explained, shocked by Winter’s sudden anger. “Pyrrha needed us to supply cover for her and Weiss so they could meet Ozpin for something. We stayed for as long as we could, but we eventually needed to pull out when the Grimm and drones overwhelmed us.”

”You left them?!”

”We made sure none of the Grimm and drones were alive.” Blake jumped to Yang’s defense. “But Pyrrha locked Weiss in one of the lockers and went to confront whoever was responsible for this.”

”The last time we heard from them, Weiss was going to stop her and Ruby left to help her out,” Yang finished.

Winter let go of Yang’s shoulders and looked to the roof of the CCT just as the pillars vanished. All she could do was pray for the Gods that Weiss was okay.

* * *

”Uncle Qrow!” Yang shouted when Qrow arrived, carrying Ruby over his shoulder. “Ruby?!”

”She’s still breathing, kiddo,” Qrow assured, handing Ruby’s unconscious body off to a medical team.

”Thank the Gods,” Yang sighed in relief.

”Wait...what about Weiss and Pyrrha?” Blake asked. “Are they okay?”

Qrow seemed to shrink at Blake’s question.

”Uncle Qrow...” Yang said, voice low.

”I’m...I’m so sorry.” Qrow revealed he has been carrying Pyrrha’s Tiara and Myrtenaster.

Blake gasped, and covered her mouth.

”No...” Yang’s eyes turned red. “Uncle Qrow, this isn’t funny!”

”Kid-“

”No!” Yang shouted. “They’re fine! You just didn’t look!”

”What’s going on?” Winter asked, having heard Yang shouting in rage.

”W-Winter,” Qrow’s voice shook. “Look, I know I’ve been terrible to you, but I just-“

”Spit it out, Branwen!” Winter snapped.

Qrow silently turned to face her, revealing Myrtenaster in his hands.

Everything in Winter’s world turned black. It was just her, and her sister’s blade. Wordlessly, she walked over and snatched it from Qrow’s hand.

”Are you fucking with me?” Winter asked, bitterly. Her voice was hallow, she already knew the answer.

Qrow didn’t say anything, he just shook his head.

”Okay,” Winter said, coldly. She turned and began walking away, Myrtenaster in hand. She only got a few feet before her legs gave out, and she fell to the cold, hard ground. She curled into the fetal position, holding Myrtenaster close to her as she quietly sobbed.

”They’re really gone, aren’t they?” Blake asked.

”Shut it, Blake!” Yang shouted at her. “No one knows anything!”

”Yang.” Blake reaches out to her, but Yang smacked her hand away.

”Don’t touch me!” Yang began stomping towards the Beacon courtyard. “I’m going to go look for them.”

”Yang, you can’t!” Blake called after her.

”To hell with all of you!” Yang picked up speed, and began a full sprint towards the CCT tower.

A crow flew in front of her, and Qrow returned to his human from, stopping her dead in her tracks.

”Get out of my way, Qrow!” Yang demanded.

”Yang, that’s enough,” Qrow said, gently.

”No!” Yang tried to stay angry, but the sinking realization began to set in. “They’re f-fine...they’re...”

Qrow our a hand on Yang’s shoulder.

”Weiss is gone...” Qrow repeated, “I’m sorry.”

Yang didn’t say anything else, she just let out a cry of rage and grief.

* * *

_Present Day_

Winter stepped out of the Atlas ship. She spent months helping Port, Oobelck, and Qrow get a lid on the Grimm currently storming the streets of Vale, but eventually, it was considered a lost cause, and the city was cut off. Any survivors were on their own.

”Winter, it’s good to see you,” Ironwood was there to great her. He’s seen better days, while he still had his usual poster and tone, Winter knew him long enough to tell that the streaks of white in his hair weren’t their before. “I’m sorry about Vale, and...”

Winter gave him an emotionless glare.

”We can’t save everyone,” he tried his best to comfort.

”What assignments do you have for me?” Winter asked.

”What do-“

”Sir, what assignments do you have for me?” Winter repeated with a little more force.

Ironwood knew what she was doing. He saw this before when she and Daisy divorced, Winter threw herself into her work to avoid her problems. This would, no doubt, be a much more severe case.

”Actually,” Ironwood tried to go about this in a gentle way, “I think you should take some time off.”

”What?” Winter’s eye twitched.

”You’ve been at Vale for months, and your emotional state couldn’t have been helped by that,” Ironwood said. “I want to you to rest.”

”Sir-“

”That’s an order,” Ironwood said, sternly.

Winter was about to say something, but she stopped herself, and let out a shaky sigh. “Fine.”

“Good,” Ironwood’s tone softened. “I didn’t know who else to call...so I called your parents.”

Winter’s mood dropped. “You did what?”

”You didn’t have anyone else on your contact list,” Ironwood said, defensively. “They sent Klein to come pick you up.”

”Klein?” Winter softened.

”Yes, he’s outside now,” Ironwood said.

Winter closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “Okay.”

* * *

Winter exited the Atlas building and was greeted by Klein.

”Winter?” Klein’s bashful personality asked.

Winter couldn’t help but a crack a small smile. “Yes, Klein. It’s me.”

”Oh! I haven’t seen you in you in person for too long!” Klein hugged her. “You’ve grown to be such a beautiful young lady.”

”Thank you,” Winter said.

Klein seemed to shrink into himself. “We got the news.”

Winter winced, but got her bearings. “And?”

”Whitley broke down, locked himself in his room, and has only come out for food and the bathroom,” Klein explained.

”Mother?”

”She’s been drinking much more than usual.”

”Typical Mother, only showing she cares long after the child she loved could know,” Winter noted, bitterly.

”Jacques-“

”Didn’t care?” Winter guessed.

”You know him,” Klein said, voice empty.

”Well, let’s get this over with,” Winter said.

Klein opened the door to the backseat, and Winter sat down, not bothering to buckle herself in when Klein began driving them home.

* * *

Jacques was there to greet them as Klein pulled in.

”There she is!” Jacques walked up to Winter as she got out of the car. “Come, let me get a good look at you.” Jacques took Winter’s chin and turned her head. “I see you still have that defiant scowl.”

Winter didn’t say anything to him.

”Come now, Winter,” Jacques spoke condescendingly. “Don’t you have anything to say to your dear old dad?”

”I already spoke to Klein,” Winter snarked.

Jacques scoffed. “I hoped your defiant attitude would’ve died along with your sister.”

Winter’s fist clenched, and she resisted every urge to punch him and shattered his skull on the stone path to their house.

”It didn’t work for her, and I hope you can come to your senses before you die too,” Jacques said, coldly. “Whitley is worthless, and would be a terrible heir to the Schnee name, you on the other hand...”

”Never,” Winter spat.

”You say that now, but you’ll come around.” Jacques stepped out her way, and held his hand towards their mansion. “Welcome home, Winter.”

Winter didn’t even look at him, she just kept her eyes forward, and began to long trek towards her home.

* * *

Winter felt the almost nostalgic chill of her home as she walked down the halls. She was wearing causal clothing for the first time in years. Klein has moved her luggage to the guest room, and she had dressed in a long, white dress, with white heels to match. As she walked down the long corridor, she stopped at the family portrait someone had painted for the family years back.

Winter’s frown turned into a grimace as she looked at her and Weiss’ frowning faces. Her mother was also a mess, but Winter stopped caring about her when she stopped caring about them. Whitley was smiling, but Winter knew this was before his innocence was shatter by Jacques, whose cold glare cut through her.

”Whitley,” Winter whispered to herself. She had realized that this painting was only a few doors away from his room. With a deep breath, she walked over to his door, and gave it a knock.

”Leave me alone!” Whitley shouted on the other end.

”Whitley...it’s me,” Winter said, gently.

”W-Winter?”

”Yes. Please, open up.”

There was a few moments of silence, then Winter heard the lock to his room click, and her disheveled brother opened the door to greet her.

”What are you doing here?” Whitley asked, shocked.

”I was given mandatory leave...and I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Winter answered.

Whitley didn’t say anything else, he just crashed into her. “I’m glad I didn’t lose you too!” He cried. “I don’t think I would be able to survive if I lost both of you.”

Winter looked down to Whitley, and wrapped her arms around him. “I could say the same to you.”


	3. Nora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, it feels good to be back at this!

Nora sat in the evacuation ship. As she watched people crowd on, she looked out the window towards the CCT tower. She noticed the dragon that was previously attacking the city was frozen.

”I guess I must’ve missed that,” Nora said to herself.

She had been out of it while sitting there, her mind thought back to Ren and Jaune, losing them was bad enough, and she couldn’t imagine what state her mind would be in if she lost Pyrrha.

”She’s okay,” Nora said to herself. “Ruby and Weiss will stop her, and she’ll-“

”Nora,” she heard Yang say next to her.

”Oh, Yang!” Nora shook her head. “What’s up?”

”I...Uncle Qrow felt it would be better if I told you,” Yang said.

Nora noticed Yang’s eyes were red, and puffy. “Yang...is everything-“

”No!” Yang snapped. “It’s not!”

Nora jumped back, shocked by Yang’s outburst.

Yang’s red eyes returned to normal, and her eyes widened in realization. “Oh Gods...Nora, I’m so sorry!”

Nora tried her best to smile. “It’s okay.”

”No...” Yang reached behind her back and pulled out Pyrrha’s tiara. “No...”

Nora looked at the tiara, smile vanishing. “Yang...”

”I’m so sorry, Nora...”

”Get that thing away from me!” Nora slapped the tiara out of Yang’s hand.

”Ruby tried!” Yang cried. “She just...she couldn’t save them...”

”Shut up!” Nora shouted, color fading from her body. “I didn’t lose her too!” She felt her anger die down into empty bitterness. “I...I can’t lose her too.”

Nora fell to her knees, Yang sat with her, hugging her tightly.

* * *

Ruby was awoken by the sound of a rock tapping on her window.

”Huh?” Ruby rubbed her eyes, and groggily got out of bed. She walked over to the window as another rock tapped against, and looked outside. “Who could...Nora?”

Nora waved to her.

”What are you doing here?!” Ruby whisper-yelled.

”Ruby, I need your help!” Nora exclaimed.

”What could you possibly need help with?!”

”Ever since the fall of Beacon, I’ve been doing digging on anyone who could’ve done this,” Nora began.

”Nora,” Ruby spoke sympathetically.

Ruby knew some of Nora’s history, how she and Ren didn’t have any place to go, how he and the rest of JNPR were the only real family she ever had in a long while. Ruby also knew that Nora, out of everyone, lost the most during the past few months, and the fall took everything from her.

”How long have you been at this?” Ruby asked.

”I haven’t slept since that night,” Nora admitted. “Oobelck has graciously donated some espresso and caffeine...”

”Nora.”

”He offered me some...other methods of staying awake, but I’m pretty sure I’d go to jail just for know he had **half** of the things he offered me...”

”Nora,” Ruby repeated a little bit louder.

”He’s been such a help, though. I’m glad someone was here to help me while-“

”Nora!” Ruby shouted, sending a flock of birds that had been resting in a nearby tree flying. “Why. Are. You. Here?!”

”Right...” Nora reached into a bag she was carrying, and pulled out a map. “I’ve been listening to everything that could so much as point me in the direction of who did this, and I’ve pinpointed that Mistral is a good place to start.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Ruby asked.

”Your uncle,” Nora answered, her tone was uncharacteristically cold.

”What?”

”That deity the woman on intercom talked about...the one that was so beyond our comprehension,” Nora said, sarcastically. “He knew about her!”

”How do you-“

”Ever since the fall, and you being left comatose, he’s been losing it,” Nora began. “I heard him in the evacuation ship...mumbling about someone named Salem. After that, I decided to tale him. At first, I got nothing...but one day, he got completely trashed, and he got angry...”

Ruby couldn’t help be recognize Qrow’s drunken anger. Summer once had to bail him out after a massive bar fight that left one man crippled, it was not long after Tai died, and Qrow was with him at the time of his death. Even as young as she was, Ruby could tell he blamed himself.

”...he stormed out of the bar I followed him too, and called up Ironwood,” Nora explained. “He blamed him for what happened, for the Atlas drones killing that Daisy girl. He said he was going to track down the people did this and kill them at-“

”Mistral,” Ruby finished Nora’s sentence. “Uncle Qrow...what have you been doing?”

”That’s what I plan on figuring out,” Nora said. “Because I’m going to Mistral, and I’m going to kill them before he even gets close to.”

”What?!” Ruby almost shouted again, but didn’t want to risk waking up Yang, Blake, and Summer. “Nora, that’s insane!”

Nora chuckled bitterly. “You of all people should how crazy I get.”

”But this is different, Nora,” Ruby said, dead serious. “If these people have been doing this...who knows how powerful they are, how powerful that deity is!”

”I have nothing, Ruby!” Nora shouted back. “After Ren...I didn’t think I could live, but Jaune and Pyrrha were there for me, they kept me grounded, sane...when Beacon fell and them gone...”

”Nora-“

”Look, I came to ask you,” Nora said.

Ruby widened her eyes. “What?”

”I wanted to ask you...to come with me, to help me find who did this to our friends, our family, our people.”

”Nora, I can’t-“

”I know you watched Pyrrha die.”

Ruby stopped in the middle of her sentence. “What did you just say to me?”

”We all know,” Nora said.

”How-“

”You talked in your sleep, kept crying her name,” Nora said. “I learned this stuff only a few days after Beacon fell, but when Summer told us that, I knew I needed to ask you.”

”You waited months just to ask me to join you?” Ruby asked.

”Plus a couple extra days for you recover after you woke up,” Nora added.

Ruby looked towards her shut bedroom door. She thought about Yang, Blake, and Summer, how she’ll probably worry them sick by going on a mission that could possibly kill her...but that image of Pyrrha struggling for breath flashed into her head. She saw her disappear and that thing...mockingly grab the tiara as one of her best disintegrated before her.

Ruby looked down to Nora. “Give me half-an-hour.”

Nora smiled. “I’ll be waiting out here for you.”

* * *

Ruby placed the note on her bed. It detailed everything, where she was going, and why she was going.

”Nora, I’m dropping my stuff down,” Ruby whispered down at her.

”Toss it! I’m open!” Nora held open her arms.

Ruby tossed down the bag and Nora caught it with no issue.

”Okay...uh...I’m coming down now,” Ruby said. “I can’t risk waking Mom, Yang, and Blake.”

”Understood.” Nora held out her arms. “Come on, I got you.”

Ruby sighed, and began crawling out of her window. As she was hanging over the ledge, her hand slipped, and she began plummeting towards the ground.

”Whoa!” Ruby braced for the hard contact with the ground, but instead she felt two gentle arms catch her. She opened her eyes to see Nora carrying her, bridal style.

”I told you I had you.” Nora winked at her.

As the two stayed in that position, Ruby was starting to remember why she had a crush on Nora all those months back.

”Okay, enough of the knight and princess act.” Nora set Ruby down on her feet. “You ready to go?”

Ruby looked out to the path that lead away from her home. “We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

”You don’t have to.”

”No, but I am.”

”Just the two of us, huh?” Ruby chuckled.

”Just Ruby and Nora.” Nora nodded.

”Okay,” Ruby narrowed her eyes in determination, “let’s get these guys!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roll credits!


End file.
